Ponyville Days
Ponyville Days is the eleventh story arc of IDW Publishing's , spanning issues #30 and #31. In the story, an argument over the founding of Ponyville splits the town into two disputing factions. Summary Issue #30 Ponyville is about to hold its annual Ponyville Days festival, commemorating the town's founding. However, Twilight Sparkle—the pony of ceremonies—has royal duties in Canterlot. Before she and Spike board the train, she ensures her friends that Mayor Mare will take care of the festival planning. In front of town hall, the mayor announces Twilight's selected theme for Ponyville Days: "Moving Forward, Looking Back Together"—honoring the town's first building with a plaque. As part of this recognition, the youngest member of Ponyville's first family will be named festival princess. Applejack believes this honor belongs to Apple Bloom since the Apple family founded the town, but Filthy Rich believes the honor should go to Diamond Tiara because the town was built around Stinkin' Rich's first store. An argument soon breaks out, and the town is divided as ponies start taking sides. Applejack leads the side that supports the Apple family, and the other side is led by Rarity, whose boutique was built on top of Stinkin' Rich's store and would become a prime spot for tourism. Rainbow Dash sides with Rarity, Pinkie Pie sides with the Apples, and Fluttershy remains neutral. With the mayor unable to satisfy either side, the two factions prepare for all-out war. The next day, Granny Smith bakes dozens of pies to use as "ammo," and Applejack considers having Sweet Apple Acres secede from Ponyville. Apple Bloom meets with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, confiding in them that she doesn't care anymore about being princess and just wants the fighting to stop. Her friends encourage her to talk to Applejack about it, but by the time she returns to town, hostilities escalate. Rarity's side forces the other into founding period clothing, and Applejack's side retaliates by flinging pies. Apple Bloom rushes to the train station just as Twilight returns and pleads for help. Using her magic, Twilight gets everyone to stop fighting. She tells them how Ponyville was founded on the belief that everyone is more than friends or neighbors—that they're family—but no one listens. The ponies leave to go about their own business, and it appears that Ponyville Days is cancelled. As Twilight, Spike, Fluttershy, Apple Bloom, and Mayor Mare wonder what they're going to do, a letter from Princess Celestia arrives, stating that ponies from all over Equestria are on their way to Ponyville to join in the festival. As Fluttershy and Twilight spot the crowds approaching, Twilight is lost on what to do next. Issue #31 With Ponyville split into two arguing sides and hundreds of ponies about to arrive to celebrate Ponyville Days, Twilight struggles to find a solution. Fluttershy suggests appealing to the ponies individually and convincing them to pitch in on their own. Taking Fluttershy's advice, Twilight convinces Applejack to accommodate the tourists at Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash to keep the weather clear, Pinkie Pie to manage a historic walking tour, and other townsfolk to contribute in their own individual ways. Rarity is unwilling to help out at first, but Twilight appeals to her generosity, and she eventually agrees to make a line of Ponyville Days garments. The next day, Twilight goes to help Filthy Rich welcome visitors at the train station, but they are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ponies arriving. Each event for Ponyville Days is equally overwhelmed by the number of visitors, and with no one else to turn to, the ponies of Ponyville all look to Twilight for help. Twilight is at her wit's end and tells the ponies that she is only one pony and cannot solve everything on her own. She desperately convinces the other ponies to look past their earlier squabbling and work together to make the visiting ponies happy. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy help the spa ponies make an outdoor mud bath, Matilda helps Mr. and Mrs. Cake with baking, and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon even help the Cutie Mark Crusaders put on a play. As Rarity helps Applejack make tents for the tourists to camp in at Sweet Apple Acres, Princess Celestia arrives to congratulate Twilight for putting everything together in time. A short while later, Twilight brings Ponyville Days to a close and thanks the ponies for making it so memorable. She closes out the ceremony by commemorating Sweet Apple Acres as Ponyville's first residential building and Carousel Boutique as the original location of Ponyville's first commercial building—a solution that makes everyone happy. Quotes :Pinkie Pie: Soooooo what's the theme? Can you tell us? :Twilight Sparkle: No, Pinkie. :Pinkie Pie: Just a hint? :Twilight Sparkle: No. :Pinkie Pie: Not even the teeniest, tiniest, itty, bitty, baby hint? :Twilight Sparkle: No! :Diamond Tiara: Where do you think you're going, blank flank? :Apple Bloom: Why, I'm going up on stage to be crowned Ponyville Days princess. What are you doing? :Diamond Tiara: What do you think? :Apple Bloom: But the first structure in Ponyville was at Sweet Apple Acres. :Diamond Tiara: They said the first building in Ponyville, not Hicksville! This town was built around the shop my great-grand pony Stinkin' Rich built. So I should be the Ponyville Days princess! :Apple Family Supporters: The plaque should be at Sweet Apple Acres! :Stinkin' Rich Supporters: We should honor Stinkin' Rich! :Fluttershy: Well, I—um. I'm going to go home until this is all worked out. :Pinkie Pie: Does not siding with you mean I won't get first crack at the zap apple pies? :Applejack: Yes! :Pinkie Pie: Then Sweet Apple Acres homestead it is! :Applejack: Half the town does not appreciate the contributions the Apples have have made to this here town—which is why I am now proposin' that Sweet Apples Acres and the adjacent half of Ponyville secede! :Applejack: Granny—let them eat pie! :Rarity: OK, unicorns! Time for flying fabric! :Twilight Sparkle: I was gone for one day! All this is happening because of a commemorative plaque? I just spent the last day in Canterlot bragging about how Ponyville is special. How we all look out for each other. How we're more than just friends or neighbors. That we're family. :Applejack: What a bunch of nonsense! :Twilight Sparkle: Excuse me? :Applejack: The last day has shown me who my real friends and family are and half this town is not included! :Diamond Tiara: I don't want to be a stupid princess anyway. :Fluttershy: Oh, dear. It looks like the crowds are already on their way! What are we going to do? :Twilight Sparkle: Well, we can—or I can—I don't know what we're going to do! :Twilight Sparkle: When I first came to Ponyville, the Apples extended such amazing hospitality. I was hoping you would do the same now. :Applejack: Well, since you put it that way... I guess us Apples can lend a hand! :Twilight Sparkle: I guess that's OK. I mean, Bulk Biceps is really the better choice to be in charge of weather control anyway. :Rainbow Dash: Bulk Biceps?! Puleez! He's no better equipped to lead weather control than Tank. No offense, Tank. :Cranky Doodle Donkey: Bah! I don't want nothing to do with it. :Matilda: Of course, Princess Twilight, whatever you need! :Cranky Doodle Donkey: If Matilda is willing, so am I. :Jeff Letrotski: This pony abides. :Spike: Oh, Rarity! Why won't you help?? Why? Why? :Rarity: What is going on here? :Spike: Nothing. :Ponies: What are we going to do? :Twilight Sparkle: I don't know! :Apple Bloom: What do you say, Diamond Tiara? Can we bury the hatchet for one afternoon? :Diamond Tiara: Uh..., like no! :Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle: Seriously? :Diamond Tiara: Ugh, fine. Just this once, and we never speak of it again! :Rarity: I guess if we worked together, we could have come up with that solution on our own! :Twilight Sparkle: Maybe. But it's nice to know that even though I'm a princess, I can still help Ponyville with the "simple" things! de:Ponyville-Tage